Pictured are representatives from UH Foundation, UH Manoa and First Hawaiian Bank.

The Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa has received a $500,000 gift from the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation to establish the First Hawaiian Bank Distinguished Professorship of Banking Endowment. The First Hawaiian Bank Distinguished Professor of Banking will help expand the College’s ability to recruit and retain faculty of the highest caliber in the area of banking.

“We are truly grateful to the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation for funding an endowed professorship at the College,” says Shidler Dean Vance Roley. “In today’s competitive environment, this professorship will provide continuous funding to attract world-class educators and researchers in the area of banking, thereby strengthening the College’s overall business program.”

“We see this partnership as an exciting opportunity to gain access to top-rated professors who will inspire, motivate and educate students about banking,” said Bob Harrison, First Hawaiian Bank president and CEO. “The banking industry is going through an evolution as new technologies change the way we connect with our customers.”

First Hawaiian Bank has been a long-standing supporter of the College. In 1999, First Hawaiian Bank donated $1 million to the Shidler College of Business to establish the First Hawaiian Bank Endowment Fund for the Distinguished Professor of Management and Leadership that supports the Dean’s position. The Bank has also assisted the College by supporting student awards, internships and job placement.

Said UH Mānoa Chancellor Tom Apple, “Through their strategic and ongoing philanthropy, the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation is playing a key role in helping our university grow its margin of excellence and nurture business leaders for Hawai‘i.”

Founded in 1858, First Hawaiian Bank is the state’s largest and oldest bank with 62 branches in Hawai‘i, Guam and Saipan, and some $16.6 billion in assets. It is consistently ranked in the top tier of all U.S. banks and takes pride in being the state's highest performing bank and largest corporate contributor to the community. For over 155 years, First Hawaiian Bank has been an integral part of Hawai‘i’s growth and development, and is committed to Hawai‘i’s educational future.

“We commend First Hawaiian Bank for their generosity and commitment to our university and our community,” said University of Hawai‘i Foundation President and CEO Donna Vuchinich. “Strategic investments in faculty energize UH programs, and fuel their ability to provide the innovative and relevant education necessary to secure success in today’s complex business environment. We are most grateful that First Hawaiian Bank is continuing to build their legacy with this investment in faculty.”

(Caption information) From left: Donna Vuchinich, president and CEO, University of Hawai‘i Foundation; Mitch Kaaialii, vice president and area manager of Mililani Branch, First Hawaiian Bank; Robert Harrison, president and CEO, First Hawaiian Bank; Vance Roley, dean, Shidler College of Business; Sharon Brown, president, First Hawaiian Bank Foundation; Brandt Farias, executive vice president of marketing communications, First Hawaiian Bank; and Tom Apple, chancellor, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.